Piece for Piper: Can I Sit With You

Package including typed letter, handwritten note, usb drive with video, 2018

Since my studentship, I have admired the work of Adrian Piper. During my graduate studies, I sent her a brave email, as a young artist to a hero artist. To my surprise, we began a fruitful exchange that lasted nearly a year. In the last year, her much overdue retrospective arrived to the U.S., first to MOMA and now is at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibition is remarkable, yet one piece spoke, as if directly, to me. In You/Stop/Watch: A Shiva Japam from 2002, Piper repeats the mantra, “I can take it,” while critical texts run along the top and bottom of the frame. She moves through a powerful 42 minute emotional rollercoaster while speaking the words. I was struck by the sense of isolation evolked through her repetition. I do not want her to be alone in the “taking of it.” In response, I sent her the following letter and video, wherein I ask, “Can I sit with you?” as my attempt to bridge the gap between women, and people more broadly, who carry pain in isolation.

The below video is a visual description of the process of the work - Piper’s piece, my letter, my video. Below that is a 1 min preview of the piece made for Piper. I sent the package of this work to Piper in November 2018. To date, am yet to hear back.